Birdbrained Week 5: It’s mailbag time.If you ever want to get your questions in Cheap Carson Wentz Jersey , hit me up on Twitter @BenjaminSolak. If you don’t have a Twitter, you can also e-mail me at benjamin [dot] solak [at] gmail, but I will probably tell you to get a Twitter (and answer your question anyway).Aaaand here we go!I kinda talked about this with the Eric Thomas thing last week; but it applies to Le’Veon as well: Understanding the comp pick formula really frees you up to make some aggressive in-season trades. Let’s use Bell as the example:Because Le’Veon Bell would likely be one of the larger free agent contracts when he hits the market after this season, the team that loses Bell to free agency will receive a compensatory Draft pick — likely a third- or fourth-rounder.Philadelphia could be the team to recoup that selection. So what’s the price to rent one of the top running backs in the league for 2018, and then acquire a 2020 third round selection? That’s the question you’re asking here.Now, typically, when you add a free agent, you don’t have to worry about making the team worse, right? He either adds talent, or your team stays the same. But with Bell, if you’re trading for him, you have to convince him to sign the franchise tag, and then...actually play. As the Eagles — a team very unlikely to extend Bell beyond 2018 — that might be a difficult sell.Of course, it doesn’t have to be Earl Thomas or Le’Veon Bell — it doesn’t have to be a disgruntled, future free agent that you trade for. And because future Draft picks are 90% a myth — think about the number of trades that happen on Draft night — you shouldn’t be afraid of moving a Day 2 pick or multiple Day 3 picks for the sake of proven players. I expect moves. Even if the Eagles win out from now until the deadline, or lose out the same. Howie’s always looking for value, and that won’t change this season.No, not really.Before the season, when you looked at the Eagle defense, you’d likely circle defensive tackle depth or safety depth as the two biggest concerns. Maybe LB depth, but I feel like training camp handled that bump pretty nicely. Now a quarter of the way through the season, safety depth really has been exposed as the issue, in terms of personnel.I probably have lost some confidence in Jim Schwartz, because he’s really struggling to get creative on the back-end. I thought he had done a nice job of growth in this regard coming into the season, but a leopard never changes its spots, I suppose. My confidence in the front-seven as a whole remains unwavering, as does my trust in Malcolm Jenkins to superhero-will the Eagles to win after win.For the offense Cheap Jay Ajayi Jersey , you likely circled the Carson Wentz health situation as the biggest red flag — and really, to this point in the season, it technically has been, in that Carson’s only played two games. By the same token, the pass-catching depth was a big point of worry in September, but all it took was a good Goedert game and then an Alshon return to quell those concerns.I suppose my salient point with the offense: let them get everyone back and in a few weeks with a new offensive coordinator before we go panicking. The switch at LG has been made to Seumalo, but I generally expect the offense to look much better when, you know, all of Darren Sproles and Corey Clement and Alshon Jeffery and 100% of Jay Ajayi and Carson Wentz are on the field at the same time.I am not even close to panic mode about the offensive line. They’ve had two shaky weeks against two complex fronts. It’s all okay.This kinda follows that ‘Schwartz adjusting’ idea, so let’s address it here.The general schema, from my understanding, is this: let’s assume pressure is going to arrive to the quarterback quicker than 2.5 seconds (that’s the average NFL time to throw). That’s pretty much enough time for the QB to get to his first, maybe his second read depending on the concept.If you’re playing Cover 3 with your corners off the line — that’s the typical Schwartz deployment — then your corners can play downhill into quick-breaking hot routes, thereby scoring PBUs or quick tackles against the quick throw game teams will use to combat your pass rush.If you’re playing Cover 3 press, or just pure Cover 1, then you can more easily take away those underneath routes, sure — but if and when you get beat by quick underneath releases, you allow for YAC. And, if and when you get beat instead by one-on-one throws like the go route or back-shoulder fade, you give up bigger chunks of yardage.Of course, Philadelphia can get into situations (Tampa Bay) in which, despite playing Cover 3, they’re still giving up big chunk plays (deep ins and comebacks were the great culprit there). I agree that, at that point, you’d like to see Schwartz potentially press or run trap coverages to discourage those routes. I’d also welcome more variance generally, just to keep offenses on their toes. We saw a move that direction against the Titans, but some really bad execution on the field — and likely too much variance in the play-calling to boot. There’s a balance to be struck here. More press is definitely a possibility — but it doesn’t really lend itself to the structure and philosophy of Jim Schwartz’s entire defense.I’m taking these three together Cheap Cameron Johnston Jersey , since they’re definitely linked. Let’s start with the big question:Why was Avonte Maddox — a rookie cornerback — seeing safety reps over Deiondre’ Hall, a player who has actually played safety before in his life?I dunno. I have no idea what that logic was. Simply none.Maddox as a safety is something I find very perplexing. Think about it this way: slot corners play in the tightest of spaces in the secondary. There are bodies everywhere else — inside, outside, deep — so all the work of slot receivers happens very immediately. That’s why the primary trait of slot receivers is quickness: they need to separate in an instant, given the tight confines.Deep safeties play in the most open of spaces in the secondary. Everything is happening equidistant to them (generally speaking). Their job isn’t to get somewhere in a split second, but rather get everywhere in a reasonably short period of time. They don’t need quickness so much as they need range — long-distance quickness, I suppose — which is a marriage of recognition and long speed.Maddox’s primary trait is his quickness; his long range speed is certainly impressive, but that’s not what stands out on tape, and his recognition skills are yet untested. Furthermore, things like ballhawking skills — size and vertical leap to attack the catch point, physicality when attacking seam routes — also remain untested, and at his size, the outlook is a little bleak. He simply doesn’t translate to the safety position nearly as well as he does the slot.Hence him playing in the slot for all of camp and the preseason.Now, Deiondre’ Hall isn’t nearly as fast as Maddox — he’s built far more like a box safety who can cover tight ends than he is a free safety like McLeod. If the Eagles were to get Hall on the field, it would be more likely as the box guy, while Jenkins would step back into McLeod’s role as the deep safety.But at least then you’d have Hall playing a role he’s familiar with, instead of Maddox in a role he’s never seen before. To me, that seems preferable — but what do I know, really?Given the issues in the secondary, not seeing Hall at all in the near future — read: this week — would be rather a condemnation on that trade. The Eagles are desperate for an impact player at safety, and they traded for a safety who has yet to see the field. If that continues, that’s a bad look. The injury-depleted defense held on long enough for Carson Wentz and Philadelphia's new-found rushing attack to rally.Jake Elliott kicked a 43-yard field goal with 22 seconds remaining, and the Eagles beat the New York Giants 25-22 on Sunday after trailing 12-0 early and 19-14 in the fourth quarter.Wentz made key throws and undrafted rookie Josh Adams delivered big runs to put the defending Super Bowl champions back in the playoff chase."This was a big game mentally, to show resilience and battle back," said Wentz, who was 20 of 28 for 236 yards and one touchdown.Adams scored on a 1-yard TD run and ran up the middle for the 2-point conversion to give Philadelphia a 22-19 lead.After the Giants tied it on Aldrick Rosas' third field goal, a 29-yarder http://www.eaglescheapshops.com/cheap-authentic-brandon-graham-jersey , the Eagles controlled the ball for 5:27.Coach Doug Pederson went for a fourth-and-1 at the Giants 42 and Wentz completed a 12-yard pass to Nelson Agholor right before the two-minute warning. Adams ran three times and Elliott made the go-ahead kick."I had a lot of confidence in our guys, they played man zone and it was well executed," Pederson said about the pass to Agholor. "Guys knew exactly what to do. Great job by Carson hanging in there in the pocket."The Giants started at their own 34 with 16 seconds left but couldn't do much.The Eagles (5-6) stayed in the mix in a mediocre NFC East. The Cowboys and Redskins are tied for first place at 6-5. The Giants fell to 3-8.In the first half, Eli Manning picked apart a Philadelphia defense that was missing its top four cornerbacks, a starting safety and starting linebacker. But Manning threw an interception to Malcolm Jenkins at the Eagles 2 before the second quarter ended.Saquon Barkley had 101 yards rushing for New York, and Odell Beckham Jr. caught only five passes for 85 yards against backups."Knowing they were struggling (with injuries) in the secondary, personally I would've loved to attack them. But that wasn't in our game plan," Beckham said.The Eagles relied on their little-used rushing attack to take the lead in the fourth quarter. Wentz tossed a 23-yard screen pass to Corey Clement and the next six plays were runs, capped by Adams' score.Adams had a career-best 84 yards on 22 carries.After Barkley broke loose up the middle for a 51-yard TD to give the Giants a 19-3 lead, the Eagles finally answered.Wentz fired a 15-yard TD pass to Zach Ertz and flipped the ball to Clement on an option play for the 2-point conversion, cutting the deficit to 19-11 late in the second quarter.Elliott's 28-yard field goal made it 19-14 in the third.The Eagles stepped up on defense, forcing three straight punts in the second half to allow the offense to rally.Coming off the most lopsided loss by a defending champion 鈥?48-7 at New Orleans 鈥?the Eagles fell behind early again.The Giants jumped ahead on the opening drive. Manning flipped a 13-yard TD pass to Barkley, but the 2-point conversion failed after a penalty on the Eagles allowed the Giants to go for it from the 1.The Eagles appeared to tie it on a 52-yard TD run by Adams but a holding penalty on center Jason Kelce negated the score.SITTING SAQUONBarkley only had five touches in the second half after 15 in the first."We're going to spell him a little bit as we go," Giants coach Pat Shurmur said. "It had nothing to do with the outcome of the game."PHILLY DOMINANCEThe Eagles are 17-4 against the Giants since 2008, including 9-1 in the last 10.NO-NAME SECONDARYThe Eagles used Cre'von LeBlanc, Chandon Sullivan, and De'Vante Bausby as their starting cornerbacks. Only LeBlanc had ever started a game in the NFL."For me, it's a dream come true," LeBlanc said about covering Beckham. "He's phenomenal. I fear no man. At the end of the day, line up, he put his pants on, I put my pants on and we're gonna play ball."SLOW STARTSThe Eagles were scoreless in the first quarter for the fifth straight game and ninth time this season. They only have 21 points in the opening quarter.INJURIESGiants: TE Evan Engram injured his hamstring in warmups and didn't play. WR Quadree Henderson left with a shoulder injury.Eagles: CBs Jalen Mills, Sidney Jones and Avonte Maddox and LB Jordan Hicks didn't play. CB Ronald Darby and S Rodney McLeod already were lost for the season.UP NEXTGiants: Host the Chicago Bears (8-3) next Sunday.Eagles: Host the Washington Redskins (6-5) on Dec. 3.